Incomplete question. Here's the excerpt containing the sentence:
"Because of its weakness, the Confederation government had trouble with financial issues. Continentals, paper bills the Continental Congress printed during the war, did not hold their value. By 1781, the currency had depreciated (dih • PREE • shee • ayt • ed), or fallen in value, so far that it was worth almost nothing. As more continentals appeared, people realized that Congress could not exchange or trade in the bills for gold or silver. The public began to doubt the money was worth anything. In 1779 it took 40 continentals to buy a single Spanish silver dollar. By 1781, a person needed 146 continentals to buy that Spanish coin. "Not worth a continental” became a common saying. At the same time, the price of food and other goods soared. In Boston and some other areas, high prices led to food riots."
Explanation:
Meaning the money had very little value in the eyes of Americans at the time. Remember, from the paragraph we are told, "the currency had depreciated..., or fallen in value, so far that it was worth almost nothing," furthermore we are told, "In 1779 it took 40 continentals to buy a single Spanish silver dollar. By 1781, a person needed 146 continentals to buy that Spanish coin." So in just two years (1779-1781), the currency had depreciated (or loss its value) by about 350%.
